Picker stick check strap for looms and method of making the same



A. A. ROBERT PICKER STICK CHECK STRAP FOR LOOMS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 18

willi April 1o, 1956 w24 ATTORNEY United States pa..

PICKER STICK CHECK STRAP FOR LOOMS AND METHOD F MAKENG THE SAME Application .ianuary 18, 1954, Serial No. 404,571

2 Claims. (Ci. 139-161) This invention relates to a picker stick check strap for looms of that known type which is in the form of an endless elongated loop through which the picker stick extends and the elongated sides of which are frictionally supported in a suitable supporting bracket attached to the lay of the loom.

One object of the present invention is to provide a picker stick check strap of this type which has increased strength and superior wearing qualities and which is also slightly resilient in the direction of its length so that at each impact of the picker stick against either end of the loop the check strap will yield slightly thereby cushioning such impact and reducing the strain on the check strap caused by such impact.

My improved check strap is made from a tubular woven fabric which presents heavy warp threads of cotton, nylon or other suitable synthetic fibre extending lengthwise of said fabric and a filling or weft thread of nylon, or other similar synthetic material, which extends circumferentially of the fabric.

ln the drawings, wherein I have illustrated various steps involved in the making of the check strap,

Fig. l indicates a length of tubular woven fabric having the heavy warp threads of cotton, nylon or other synthetic fibre and the nylon filling or weft thread;

Fig. 2 illustrates the operation of impregnating the fabric with a liquid rubber latex compound;

Fig. 3 shows a section of the tubular fabric from which a single check strap is to be made;

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view showing the first step of folding the section of tubular fabric;

5 is a similar view illustrating the second step of folding the fabric to produce a four-ply structure;

Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view showing the fourply fabric provided with lines of stitching extending circumferentially thereof;

Fig. 7 illustrates the step of dipping the article shown in Fig. 6 in a bath of liquid latex compound;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the completed check strap;

Fig. 9 illustrates the manner in which the check strap is used in a loom.

In the drawings 1 indicates a length of woven tubular fabric from which my improved check strap may be made, said fabric having the longitudinally extending heavy warp threads 2 of cotton, nylon, or other synthetic fibre, and the continuous weft or filling thread 3 which extends circumferentially of the fabric in the form of a multiplicity of integrally connected loop turns which are interwoven with the warp threads 2. The weft thread 3 is preferably made of nylon, or some other synthetic fibre, which is extremely strong, but more or less elastic, and the weft and warp threads may be woven in the manner of a plain weave or in the manner of a rib weave.

After a suitable length of tubular fabric 1 has been woven it is impregnated with a liquid rubber latex compound, preferably of the type commercially known as K5 Red, or a solvent-dispersed rubber compound such as is known to the trade as K7 Black. The impregnation of the length of tubular fabric is illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein 4 indicates a tub or vat containing the liquid rubber compound, and into which a length of the tubular fabric 1 is immersed.

After the length of fabric has been properly impregnated with the liquid rubber compound it is either hung upto drain or may be run through squeeze rollers to squeeze out excess impregnating liquid. When the impregnated length of fabric 1 has been dried suthciently so that it can be handled then it is cut transversely along the lines 3d in Fig. l, thereby dividing the length of tubular fabric into sections indicated at 5 in Fig. l, each section being of a width to produce one check strap. One of these sections is illustrated in Fig. 3. rIlle material with which the tubular fabric is impregnated serves to prevent any raveling of the weft thread 3 at either edge of the section 5. Y

The edges 6 and 7 of each section 5 are then folded inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the marginal portions of said edges come close together along a median line.

The section folded, as shown in Fig. 4, is then folded inwardly again along the median line to produce the fourply article shown in Fig. 5, the cut edges 8 and the folded portions 6, 7, being enclosed between the portions 9 and 10.

This makes an article in the form of an endless loop having at one edge the two folded edges 11 and at the other edge the single folded edge 12, the sides of the loop having a uniform thickness throughout. Y

The four plies of the article are then stitched together by a plurality of lines of stitching 13 which run around the article parallel to the weft threads 3 as seen in Fig. 6. lf desired the folded article shown in Fig. 5 may be run between compressing rolls to press the plies firmly together before the lines of stitching 13 are inserted.

The stitched article is then again immersed in a liquid rubber latex compound, as shown in Fig. 7, thereby completing the saturation thereof and providing it with a surface coating. The article is then removed from the bath 111, shown in Fig. 7, and after it is properly dried and cured it is ready for use, as seen in Fig. 8. This check strap, as above described, is intended to be supported in position on the lay of the loom by means of suitable supporting brackets which are attached to the lay and each of which has the three depending fingers 15, 16, and 17, each side of the elongated check strap being threaded through the fingers of its supporting bracket, as shown in Fig. 9. Because of the relative location of the fingers 1S, 16, and 17, each side of the loop will be bent around the central finger so that the loop is frictionally retained in place and is capable of a Slight movement in the direction of its length at each impact of the picker stick which is indicated at 29.

l* will be understood that the check strap is supported in a position in which the picker stick oscillates back and forth between the sides of the strap, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 9. At the end of each forward movement of the picker stick it will engage and be arrested by the right hand end 21 of the check strap and at each return movement of the picker stick it will engage and be arrested by the end 22 of said strap.

The impact of the picker stick against the ends of the check strap is taken by the weft thread 3 which, as stated above, is preferably a nylon thread which is exceedingly strong, but is somewhat elastic. The strength of the nylon thread which absorbs the impact of the picker stick at each end of its throw provides a check strap which has superior strength and the elastic characteristic of the Y Y Y a v perhiit'stheicheck 'strap t'o give slightly at each im- Vpact, -therelzty providing a cushioning effect which -adds to the length Vof life of the strap.

While I have shown a four-ply check strap, yet itwill he -ohvins tthat fa fche'ck strap having or eight plies iiigiht be iliade from a vsection "oiga :tubing lby projgo'e'rlyr i Another 'advantage inherent 'in -a picker frechY strap embodying-'the invention -is that lthoughiwh'enith'e "strap is rst installed the picker stick strikes the upper yedge of Vth'efst'r'a'p a'tfeachendfof its Ythrow, "yet becauseof the ,ls'ticityfof the nylon thread the fnbper edge :portion of diestra? will Ygradually increase slightly in diameter so Y n'V :anda'nylo'n 'weft thread A'extending from one fend to the other of said lengthV in repeated integrally connected 'loop formations, 'each of which Ye'rten'ds c'ir'cuinferentially of thettibtil'ar fabric andis interwoven with the warpthreads, inggnting'said'length Yof tubular fabric Vwith a liquid rubber latex compound, cutting said length transversely toprovide a section thereof of sufficient length'dimension t'ofrnhlie tlierequired check strap, olding'each'edge portion bfsa" 'section back on'the centrallportion thereof to providetwo-infoided edge 'portions of'eqtial'width with'thei'n' foldededges closely edjacent each other, folding the thiis folded-sectionalongits median line to bring 'the vfolded edges of the 'folded'section into registry 'with each other 'and'withthe edge portions ofthe original section located within the fold, thereby producing a fon'rlply endless hody-fhavin'gfsaidfedge portions located "the'rewithin, andV Vwith the nylon 'weft thread extending lengthwise thereof,

stitchihgltheiplies vtogether by fnea'ns of'lin'es /of stitching extending vlengthvs'fise of the body vand then 'dipping 'the completed `article 'in "a bath of kliquid "rubber latex, -and then allowing the latex to dry, the portions of the nylon weft thread Vvextending Jengthwise Vof the loop being positioned to take the strain to which the check strap Yis subjected when in use and serving to provide the check strap with a desired degree of resiliency in the direction of its length.

2. A check strap for 4pickerfsticlts of looms having a body .in the Vvform of a one-piece Vendless'elongated l'op of Woven -fabricpresenting'a uniform thickness throughout and in which the working strain on the fabric when the check strap is inusc is 'in the 'lengthwi's'eidre'ctio'nof said elongated loop, sidfbody having 'resilient charac- 1 teristics in said lengthwise direction and comprising a plurality of l.plies -of woven tubular fabric integ'ral with each other and earch having warp threads extending transversely of the body frbn one edge 'thereof to the other, each warp thread extending transversely through all of the plies of the fabric successively, said body also oomprisning a'conti'nuous unbroken weft thread 'ofrylo'n extending circurnferentiallyof Ythe loop in'epeat'ed integrally `conneetedV 'loop ,portions and 'having elongated rs'trihresistingportions'fhreof extendingleng'thwise Aof the loop and 'inpositio'n to takefth'e working strain fro which the check strap is subjected when in use and also to "provide CAD ' thecheck strap withthe desired 'resiliency in the direction ofk said Working strain, fafnd lin'esfo'f stitching extending Ae'ir'cu'rfnf'ereritially of 'said loop, Vthe stitches of 'e'alchline 'ekt'eiiding transversely'throu'gh all the 'plies and uniting thorn, the fabric of 'the plies being impregnated 'with a liquid lrubber latex compound Y Y References Cited in the leof'thisfpatent r`UNrrnD STATES PATENT-s Walters Mar. 16, l1954 

